


My Patient is Cute and I might just be in Love (minor hiatus!)

by fairiesmushroom



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Bandaid, Byakuya is scary, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Give her a break, Ishimaru and Hiro bickering, Kazuichi gets called a simp, Mikan Centric, More Relationships to be added, More characters to be added, Multi, One-Sided Fukawa Toko/Togami Byakuya, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Togami Byakuya Not Being an Asshole, Tsumiki Mikan Needs a Hug, also gundham mahiru and mikan are roommates, also my medical descriptions are probably pretty inaccurate, but might focus in on other characters, chaotic punks, dorks and shenanigans, gundham is a sweetheart, ibuki being cute, ibuki is in a band, im a multishipper so this might get messy, leosaya but they're petty, mahiru is Fed Up, mikan is a nurse who is very concerned, mikan is self deprecating, mondo and ishimaru bickering, mostly just fluff but some emotional angst so be careful, punk band shenanigans, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26182582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairiesmushroom/pseuds/fairiesmushroom
Summary: Mikan is hoping for a peaceful shift, until 4 punks crash into her hospital after a performance gone wrong. She's charged with looking after them, which becomes complicated when she starts to crush on one particularly cute patient. Between her bickering flatmates and stressful job, will she ever be able to catch a break?(currently on a short hiatus while I finish my other work + beat writers block. Should resume soon!)
Relationships: Koizumi Mahiru/Saionji Hiyoko, Mioda Ibuki/Tsumiki Mikan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	1. A Not-So-Peaceful Night Shift

**Author's Note:**

> Bandaid is one of my absolute favourite danganronpa ships, so this fic will have Mikan x Ibuki as the main ship. However I plan to add most of the characters so there will definitely be more relationships on the way. This fic is also slightly self indulgent, and a Non-Despair AU. Characters are around the same age as canon, maybe a bit older.

A peaceful Thursday night at the hospital - that's what Mikan had expected when she checked into her shift that evening. Care for some of the patients, change dressings and IV bags, have a quiet dinner break and maybe even treat herself to a snack from the vending machine, if she was feeling really indulgent. However, this was not the outcome at all.

Loud beeping and frantic scrabbling voices filled the corridors as other nurses and doctors hurried back and forth collecting equipment from various rooms. Mikan, who had been busy daydreaming, rushed from her desk as soon as she heard the commotion. Clumsily stumbling into the main reception area, she looked about wildly to find her supervisor.  
"Mikan - we need you over here." One of the Doctors frantically waved her over.  
"Ah, sorry! I'm sorry I was late !" She pushed through the crowds to make her was to the other woman.  
"Tonights a big one. Not only do we have multiple patients, but it's all from the same incident. Late night music performance, some technical issues lead to the floor of the stage breaking, no reported deaths but the band members have some nasty injuries. We are guessing theres going to be some fractures and potentially dislocations-" 

The doctor was interrupted by the sound of the hospital doors flying open, as the emergency response team entered the reception, rolling stretchers along behind them.  
"They're here! Get the operating rooms ready!"

Mikan felt her hands go clammy, and she started trembling her leg. She shouldn't be nervous - she'd been told multiple times by many different supervisors that she was the best nurse they had ever seen, her attention to detail and passion for others was constantly being praised. It was just an instinct Mikan had felt since she was little. But she didnt do well under pressure, and her anxiety often caused her to cry and panic. It frustrated her - she so greatly wanted to help, to be useful, but she always seemed to fuck it up in one way or another. She wasn't going to let it hurt her patients though, so she tried to focus in on the stretchers, and their occupants, as they rolled by.

The first person to be wheeled past her was actually sat up a little - a good sign that allowed her a little sigh of relief. The man was tall and very muscular, with neatly styled hair pushed into a pompadour over his face. It was quite a structural marvel, especially since the rest of his body was covered in dust and scrapes. He had a nosebleed and some nasty looking punctures on his hands, but otherwise appeared externally ok. Mikan heard him yelling angrily about a bike as he was wheeled past her, demanding to see if it was ok. She took a note of this - he likely wouldn't remember by morning and it was her job to make sure everyones need were met.

The next patient she actually recognised from TV - Leon Kuwata, a baseball star in his own right, who had recently caused a scandal as he quit sports in favour of music. His usually neon orange hair was dashed with traces of blood and one of his eyes seemed swollen. He was conscious but pretty unresponsive. That was less optimistic- potential blunt force trauma - Mikan was about to note this down when she was distracted by sudden screaming and crying from behind her that caused her to jump and accidentally drop her clipboard. She apologised (to no one in particular) and picked it up just as the stretcher came past.

"Bro my fucking leg!! Ow, ow ow - shit, my fucking leg dude! It's DEFINITELY not supposed to look like that!!! BRO-"  
Another garishly dressed man was wheeled past, this time with bright pink hair and a yellow jumpsuit. One of his legs was twisted at a strange angle - definitely a fracture, but he was at least conscious. Definitely conscious. As his yelling echoed down the hallway, she realised her supervisor was still checking her notes. 

"There's one more, seems to be in the most critical condition. She was apparently at the front of the stage when it fell, so all the items on the stage seem to have slid towards her as they went down. Possible crushed arm, multiple fractures. She's alive, but unconscious."

Mikan nodded and bit her lip nervously as the final stretcher was bought in. On it lay a girl with wild spiked hair and a ton of piercings, eyes closed with a look of blankness on her face. She was also wearing brightly coloured clothing, quite a decent amount also stained with blood. The nurse noticed her odd coloured socks as she rolled past. Cute.  
What?! Now was not the time to marvel at someones appearances, they needed medical help. From quick observation, Mikan agreed that her arm was definitely broken - the right side of her chest also looked misshapen. Mikan mentally reprimanded herself. Idiot, always getting distracted. She turned to her supervisor expectantly.

"Mikan, I'm going to have you help in Surgery 4 for now, but after the doctors have finished you'll be monitoring them all in one ward. Its imperative we keep them all stable, ok?" Nodding vigorously, Mikan ducked back out into the corridor and hurried her way to Surgery 4. She could feel her heart pounding at the back of her throat, and thought she might throw up from the discomfort. Push it down, they need you. This is important. But the rising wave of panic wouldn't subside, no matter how hard she fought it.

She rounded the corner. Inside was a few doctors, and the last patient; the girl with the cute mismatched socks. Now she was awake, and moving her head around slightly as the doctors checked her stats and prepared her anaesthetic. She didn't seem all that panicked thankfully, instead looking dazily around at all the machines next to her. Mikan paused for a moment to examine the girl closer. Her eyes were so pink, an almost unreal hue - the hair, despite being plastered to her face, was an equally outlandish mix of blue, pink and white highlights: choppy, but in a purposeful way, unlike her own clumsy attempts at a haircut. The girl was beautiful too, but in a cool way, Mikan thought - like the girls she would see in the fashion magazines in waiting rooms, girls that Mikan would never have even dreamed of talking too. She realised she had been staring, and felt herself going red. Oh God, what if she hated her?! What if she didnt want a fuck up like Mikan looking after her-

"Nurse, I need you to administer the anesthesia, please. The anesthesiologist needs to attend to other patients, but it has all been measured out." The Doctor said loudly, interrupting Mikan's overriding thoughts. All of a sudden she felt burning shame, having kept them waiting. 'Yes, Yes I'm sorry, Sorry- I mean yes I can do that now!! Sorry!" The other Doctor just looked at her in slight bewilderment, but simply turned back to his equipment. Mikan hurried over and readied to put the injection in. "This... this might sting a little." She said, pushing the needle into the girl's arm. It should only take a few seconds, and Mikan looked down only to make direct eye contact with the patient. Her eyes looked even brighter pink up close.

The other girl stared at her intensely, with an unreadable look on her face. "Woah ...."

Mikan felt herself going red. Had she noticed the stares? It was completely inappropriate for her to treat a patient that way! "Um-"  
There was a pause, as the girl seemed to be concentrating on her words. The anaesthetic was kicking in, so the Nurse leaned in a little closer to hear what she was trying to say.  
"You're really pretty ... can Ibuki get you- your number ..." the girl mumbled before slumping her head back down onto the bed, rolling over to face her with a slight smile still on her face. It took a few moments to register what the girl - Ibuki- had just said, but she barely had time to think on it before the Doctors started the examination.

Mikan felt like she was on autopilot the whole way through assisting the surgery. Two broken ribs and multiple fractures on the arm that needed setting, a lot less severe than the doctors expected. Usually Mikan would be letting out a heavy sob of relief by this point, but her mind just felt frozen on the girls words. Pretty? Mikan would hardly agree. Maybe it was a prank, maybe she knew Hiyoko, or maybe even Junko and they told her to do it. But even so, it was impossible not to dwell on it. It seemed so strange, and left her head spinning.  
"Thanks for the help Nurse. She's in a stable condition, but we are making sure she sleeps off the anaesthetic by morning." The doctors had begun leaving the surgery. Mikan just smiled and thanked them absentmindedly.

She made her way back to the locker rooms slowly, quiet and deep in thought. All the patients were resting now, the doctors having done what they could. Mikan's job wouldn't start properly until tomorrow, and it would likely be a long day ahead, so her supervisor had insisted she went home and got some sleep. Collecting her backpack from the locker rooms, she checked her watch. 00:42 AM. While it was not too late for her to catch a taxi, she didn't really want to deal with the inevitably awkward interaction- besides she was still shaky from the stress of earlier and too preoccupied with the compliment. But still, she had to get enough sleep for tomorrows day ahead, so she reluctantly got into her car and drove home. Although not a long drive, it still felt exhausting to her. Her car radio had broken a few months ago, and usually the ambience of the muffled car engine would be a calm enough noise to help her relax; but the world seemed to be against her, as a large truck blasting shitty dubstep music followed her nearly the whole way. The driver even pulled up aside her at one point, a man around her age with strange purple hair spiked upwards and a stupid grin on his face. It reminded her of the girl at the hospital, and she felt like bursting into tears again. Today had just been too much - at least her flat would probably be nice and peaceful.

"GET THAT STUPID HAMSTER OFF MY COURSEWORK!"  
"CHAM-P IS NOT A 'STUPID HAMSTER' IDIOT MORTAL! HE IS ONE OF MY DARK DEVAS OF DESTRUCTION!"  
What a fool she was for hoping, Mikan thought dejectedly as she entered her flat. Her roommates were stood in the middle of the kitchen, angrily yelling in a heated arguement..

Mahiru was violently waving a chewed up photograph around.  
"WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, I DON'T CARE!! BUT YOUR RODENTS ARE DESTROYING MY STUFF!" she screamed.

Gundham, stood in his animal print pyjamas, was cradling his hamsters in his hands.  
"Your measly camera is from the mortal realm - it will never take any pictures of value, unless you can even capture the slightest glimpse of my true form!!"

"Hi ... H-Hi guys..." Mikan muttered.

"Gundham PLEASE cut it out this is serious!! I need these to pass this class and it literally chewed up all of them!!"

"You would never understand the true intentions of my Devas, mortal!" Gundham did a little pose, like he usually did when proclaiming something dramatic.

"Um .. uh guys-"

"Whatever - if I catch that little rat in my room again I'm letting Hiyoko have it to play with."

"RAT?! HOW DARE YOU CALL CHAM-P A RAT!! AND I WILL NEVER LET THAT FOUL LITTLE GREMLIN ANYWHERE NEAR HIM-"  
"Did you just call my girlfriend a 'foul little gremlin'? Tough talk coming from you, you fucking Hot Topic Edward Cullen wannabe, insult her again and I'll-"

"I- I'M GOING TO MY ROOM!" Mikan yelled, slamming the door behind her. She dropped her backpack on the floor and collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow. After a while she noticed it had gone quiet in the kitchen, and Mikan started to cry even harder. Now her roommates must hate her too - they were probably going to kick her out. Or burn her stuff and throw it out the window. She'd have nowhere else to go. The hospital would fire her for being so useless, and she would deserve it. Everyone would laugh at her, especially the pretty girl with the mismatched socks. The nurse curled up into a ball, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest. It was beat up an tattered from all the emotional distress it had been subjected to throughout the years, but it was the still most comforting thing, like a hug. She didn't get many of those. This cycle of vicious thoughts continued until her crying was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.

"Mikan? Can we come in? It's just us."  
She slowly sat up, and tried to wipe her face. It was so pathetic, they couldn't see her like this. They would hate her more, especially Gundham - he got so uncomfortable when she cried. That made her even more upset, she was such a terrible roommate. Shuffling to the door, Mikan softly cracked it open.  
"Sorry- sorry, sorry for yelling at you ..." she sniffled. 

Stood there were her two roommates - Mahiru Koizumi in front, still clasping the photographs. She was so smart, top of her class at university, and was always carrying her camera around. Mikan had almost dropped it one time out of sheer clumsiness, and had not been allowed to hold it again since. Behind her stood Gundham Tanaka, sheepishly looking at the floor. He had really scared her at first - he would say strange things, and his room was full of occult memorabilia that she didnt understand. At point she was convinced he had tried to curse her, resulting in her spending half of her rent money of salt and protective charms she had found online. But he had always been polite enough to her, and even let her pet JUM-P once. Still, both had plenty reason to despise her.

Mahiru smiled at her gently. "It's ok Mikan, but we should be the ones apologising. You have a very important and stressful job. The last thing you need is us two fighting about the little things." She shot a glare at Gundham, who quickly nodded in agreement.

Mikan felt tears welling up again. They were so kind to her, even after she got in the way of their conversation. She didn't deserve the kindness. "Thanks you guys, um ... uh thank you, you're so nice to me!" She felt tears rolling down her cheeks again.  
The other girl seemed to panic.  
"Ahh! Um Mikan don't cry, it's ok!! You just need some sleep!" 

With that, she awkwardly gave the nurse a friendly pat on the shoulder and left to go back to her room. Mikan expected Gundham to follow her, but instead he stayed stood outside her room, just staring at her awkwardly.

"U-Um Gundham ... are you alright?" 

Suddenly, he held out a mug to her. Confused, she gently took it out of his hands. He looked away for a moment, and then silently turned back into the kitchen. Still confused, she waited expectantly, but then retreated inside her room.

Closing the door behind her, Mikan perched on the edge of her bed and held the cup between her hands. It was pleasantly warm, and after debating whether it might have been laced with some sort of toxin - a plan to get rid of her once and for all - she nervously took a small sip to find it was hot chocolate. Just regular hot chocolate. It was even in one of Gundham's favourite mugs, with the happy, smiley painted cats and dogs. Despite the image being pretty ridiculous for someone so intense as him (she remembered hearing Hiyoko mocking it several times), it was still pretty cute, and actually made her feel a little better.

After finishing her drink, she washed and changed into more comfortable clothes in her bathroom, when she caught herself in the mirror. She stopped and stared. In the reflection, a plain, boring girl looked grimly back at her. Her dusty eyes were puffy and dull, with dark circles creeping in below. Pale and cold skin made up an overall pallid complexion, worsened by her messy uneven hair. She gently brushed along her cheek with a finger, watching the mirror do the same. She wasn't pretty, and she wasn't beautiful. It was common knowledge that Mikan was just ... Mikan. Sad little Mikan. God knows she'd been told it enough times.  
She sighed, and clicked the bathroom light off.

Climbing into bed felt like a warm bath for her aching joints, and she soon felt herself pleasantly drifting off. She couldn't stop thinking about that cute girl from earlier. Ibuki. Ibuki who was in a band, and wore cute socks. Mikan smiled to herself. She would look Ibuki up later.


	2. A Collection of Unwanted Suprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikan wakes up with the sole thought to see Ibuki - yet everything seems to be trying to slow her down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is quite busy, mostly introducing some more important characters! I've still got a lot to add, but next chapter will have a lot more Bandaid content!

A loud beeping jolted Mikan from her sleep, causing her to bolt upright and crash her head into the headboard. Wincing in pain, she rubbed her eyes violently and reached for her phone, which was sitting on the corner of her nightstand. She didn't even remember going to sleep - usually it would take her a long while to calm down enough to even think about resting, and was usually interrupted by nightmares. This was the first time in a while she had slept well enough to even need an alarm.

Finally turning off the annoying bleeping noise, she yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her. What did she dream about last night? Mikan couldn't remember, but honestly didn't mind; usually she was tormented by anxieties even in her sleep, and would wake up in cold sweats, shivering. A few times she had even found herself being shaken awake by Mahiru, who would tell her she had been screaming in her sleep again. Mikan always felt terrible about that - especially if Hiyoko was sleeping over, as she would always make sure to tell Mikan how much she had ruined the night for everyone. Just thinking about it made Mikan want to curl up in a ball of embarrassment, but she couldn't. Her shift at work started at 8:00 today, and she was going to be supervising all 4 of the band members from last night. That included Ibuki - Mikan was still dwelling on the interaction, how the cute girl had called her 'pretty'. It made her feel warm. Realistically it was a strange reaction to the anesthetic, or some joke, but a small part of her still hoped she would say it again.

She headed out of her room to the kitchen, trying to be quiet as she moved through the living room. It was 6:10 AM, and the others were most likely asleep - Mahiru didn't have classes today, and Gundham's job at the Pet Centre didn't start until 10, so she could probably manage to leave before having any awkward interactions. She really didn't feel up to it this morning, especially after the stress of last night. Grabbing a cereal bar, she quickly checked the calendar on the fridge. Today was Thursday - on Saturday, Mahiru had written 'girls night'. That meant she was probably having strangers round: and that also meant Hiyoko Saionji was definitely going to be there. Great. Mikan made a mental note to stay out Saturday as to avoid Mahiru's girlfriend. Hiyoko despised Mikan with a seemingly unwavering passion, often actively seeking out the nurse to hurl insults and generally make her life even more stressful. She hated Gundham too, and neither roommate could truly understand what Mahiru saw in her - but they had been together for nearly a year, so something must be working. She bit into her cereal bar, planning where she could go. Gundham would always disappear somewhere before Mikan could trail along, so that was off the table. Maybe she could pick up a late shift at the hospital. 

Going back to her room, she collected her uniform off the end off the bed, and after a quick shower, slipped it on. It was a plain white nurses dress - both the owner and supervisor insisted on good appearances, but Mikan's clumsiness meant she usually spilt things down it. The dress was also fairly short, exposing the multitudes of plasters and bandages on her legs from her constant tripping over and walking into things; she had been advised to see one of the doctors about potential balance issues, but she didn't want them to waste their time on a hopeless case like her. She finished doing up the buttons and turned to check her reflection. Usually this would be it, but looking in the mirror all Mikan could think about was that stupid compliment. She really shouldn't have been so hung up on it - but no matter how much she tried to distract herself all she could think about was the smile on Ibuki's face as she said it. It made her blush just thinking about it. God, she was so pathetic; it had probably been some sort of mistake, and besides, nurses were not supposed to have biases and ... inappropriate thoughts about their patients. 

Even so, today she felt like making a bit more of an effort. She pulled out a shelf of her bathroom cabinet to find her measly makeup collection. It was stuff she had bought or been given over the years, most of it probably out of date. She put some concealer under her eyes in an attempt to hide the puffiness and some blusher around her cheeks and nose, like how Mahiru did when she tried teaching Mikan one time. After brushing on and wiping off several times, she felt like it looked at least somewhat decent. She had never really been one for makeup, as she was so clumsy it usually looked ridiculous. Hiyoko had reveled in calling her 'clown-face' for a few weeks after one particularly bold effort of Mikan's to learn, and the nurse had been nervous to try it again. There was a lot in the makeup drawer that she could rule out; eyeshadow, no. Lipstick, also no. Eyeliner - definitely not. Eventually she ended up just settling for mascara and lipgloss, and although she did it neatly enough, she was hit with a wave of shame when she looked up into the mirror. Was she really trying to look good for a patient that wouldn't look at her twice? Mikan wished makeup was a substitute for confidence, some magic mask she could just wear and feel pretty. Instead she just felt stupid.

Shit, she had gotten distracted again! She frantically checked her phone. 6:50 - she needed to be out the house by 7:00, in order to be comfortably there for her shift at 8:00. Mikan hurried out of the bathroom, grabbed her bag still packed from the night before, and left her room silently. It was still quiet in the flat, and she slipped on her shoes before slowly opening the front door and letting herself out. She breathed a sign of relief, leaning her head against the door for a moment. Mornings were usually pretty hectic and stressful, which is why she much preferred the night shift. She locked the door, and turned around only to come face to face with a girl standing outside her door. 

"AAAH!" Mikan screamed in surprise and dropped her bag, sending her keys, phone and other items crashing out onto the floor and into the stairwell. The other girl also reeled back in shock, mouth open as if about to say something. Mikan dropped her head and bent down to pick up her items, apologizing profusely.  
"I'm - I'm so sorry! S-Sorry for being in your way!" Mikan winced as she stuttered - it always got worse when she was stressed. She scrabbled around to pick up her phone to check it wasn't broken.  
Unexpectedly, the other girl began to apologise too.  
"No, I am afraid I must apologise! I should have made myself known, rather than scaring you! I do hope you are ok." Mikan glanced up at the other girl, looking at her properly for the first time, and was taken aback. She was gorgeous. Her accent wasn't one Mikan recognised, but it was soft and calm. She had silky blonde hair with a pretty green bow tying up a braid - it matched the colour of her eyes, which where almost literally sparkling. The girl had on a green pullover dress with black socks and red high heels - which Mikan mortifyingly realised were now covered in the coagulated, 2 day old coffee from the cup left forgotten in the nurses bag. This literally couldn't get any worse.  
The girl noticed Mikan staring at her ruined shoes, and let out a small laugh. "Don't worry about those, they were only cheap - I can easily replace them. I was more concerned about your bag!" She offered a hand to help Mikan up, which she gingerly took. "My name is Sonia, I was looking for my friend's apartment, but I think I got the wrong number..." Sonia checked her phone with a frown. "Is this definitely 132?"  
Mikan nodded quickly, and fidgeted with the handle of her bag.  
"Um y-yeah, this is 132... w-were you looking for Mahiru? She's my roommate, um, I think she is still asleep though..." She trailed off quietly. Sonia just shook her head.  
"No, I don't know a Mahiru unfortunately. Well, I'm looking for my friend Gundham Tanaka. Do you know where he lives?"  
Mikan nearly dropped her bag again.  
"G-Gundham?!"  
"Yes! He's tall, got dark hair, he has a scar on his eye, um ... Oh! has the most adorable little hamsters!! Do you know him?"  
Mikan just nodded silently and gestured to the door behind her. 

She had thought maybe Sonia was one of Mahiru's friends, but her asking for Gundham caught her off guard. His whole thing was that he didn't have any friends - he'd never had anyone over the whole time he had lived with them, and the only other person he had ever mentioned was some boy called Hifumi Yamada that worked with him, who got him into parties sometimes. He was kind of a loner by nature - so for there to a random girl asking after him this early in the morning was very unexpected. She realised the blonde girl was still staring at her.

"U-um yeah, sorry ... h-he's my other roommate. But I think he's sleeping right now ... I'm so sorry that I made you think you had the wrong address! A-a-and that I spilt coffee on your nice shoes! You can take my wallet as payment, I'm so sorry!!" She held her wallet out to Sonia, voice trembling slightly. But Sonia just smiled and gently pushed Mikan's wallet back to her.

"It's ok, I promise. It won't cost me very much just to buy a new pair - besides these ones were wearing down anyway. I think I will just wait for Gundham outside. You looked like you were rushing, so I do hope I didn't interrupt your morning!"

After profusely apologising to Sonia once more, and the girl reassuring her it was ok, Mikan turned to head down the stairs. Just before the turn, she heard Sonia call out to her.  
"Oh! I never asked your name!"  
Mikan turned back, and did a little awkward smile.  
"Ah, my name is M-Mikan Tsumiki. It was nice to meet you..."  
"Thanks for your help, Mikan."  
The nurse could feel herself going red, so just smiled again and hurried down the stairs. Maybe she should text Gundham that a pretty girl outside was waiting for him - Mikan wondered if Sonia knew that Gundham's 'scar' was just makeup.

Compared to the weird events of the early morning, Mikan's drive to work was relatively dull. It was only as she was pulling into the carpark that she got a text notification on her phone. It was from Makoto Naegi, a fellow nurse that worked alongside Mikan in the different wards of the hospital. Although Naegi was very friendly and sociable, it still wasn't often that he texted her. Confused, she checked the text.

Makoto Naegi: 07:52 AM  
'Mikan Emergency!! The hospital administration are doing surprise check - President might b there!! We need u rn in the ward with the punks from last night !!'

Mikan practically threw herself out of the car, wobbling as she practically ran to the hospital entrance. Today, today of all days, the board was going to check the hospital?! As one of the best rated hospitals in the country, Mikan shouldn't have been shocked at how intense the President and his board were. These random checks nearly always ended up in at least one member of staff being discharged, under the motto of 'striving for complete perfection.' Unsurprisingly her head had been on the chopping block multiple times, and she could feel the panic rising as she checked in for her shift and hurried up to the ward. Panting and shaking, she finally made it up the stairs and into the ward where the patients had been moved.

Makoto waved Mikan over with a worried smile. It was a relief to see him at least - he was fairly level headed and usually managed to talk the other nurses out of trouble, which Mikan often needed. He was playing with his hair nervously, something Mikan often noticed him doing when he was stressed. She reached him and apologised for being late, which he waved off.  
"It's alright Mikan, I'm just glad you're here! Four of us have been assigned to this ward, so hopefully we can all keep our necks off the line..." he trailed off.  
"U-Um, who are the other nurses?" she asked quietly.  
Makoto shot her a pained look.  
"Ishimaru and Hiro."

Ah. That explained why Naegi seemed to on edge.  
Out of all of the staff in the hospital, there was not a single worse pairing than those two. While Ishimaru was obsessed with maintaining order, Yasuhiro (or "Hiro" as most people called him) would frequently break protocol or just bunk off jobs entirely if it was easier. The hospital had recieved so many complaints from patients about their bickering that at one point a memo was sent out to try and 'name and shame' them. Ishimaru had spent the whole week angrily crying about it, whereas Hiro had just laughed and printed it out to stick in the staff room. Ishimaru had taken it down, but then Hiro put it back up again, and the saga continued until the pin board was temporarily removed. If they clashed at the best of times, Mikan was dreading having to see the pair work together under such a high pressure environment.  
At that moment, Ishimaru rounded the corner, and started heading towards them. He was basically the poster-boy of an ideal nurse, with his pristinely kept uniform, and generally neat look. His downfall often came with his composure - he got very upset very easily, especially if he suspected someone of not working their hardest.  
"Ah, Good Morning Mikan!" he shouted at her. Another issue of his was that he had a very loud voice which would often scare Mikan at random times, causing her to fall or drop things. Thinking of it, they probably weren't a very good combination either. Poor Makoto.  
"Are we all ready for the board inspection?"  
He asked. Mikan and Makoto nodded, and he smiled in response.  
"Good. Although I do not know where Yasuhiro went - I asked him to get some spare IV and blood bags just in case we have to demonstrate!" Ishimaru sweated nervously, tapping his foot quietly on the floor. It fell silent, and the nurses awkwardly looked at eachother. Mikan had never been the most social - and Ishimaru also seemed to struggle to make small talk. Makoto was fiddling with a strand of his hair as he stood between the two of them. Maybe she should say something - invite them out to eat on Saturday? It was a normal thing for coworkers to do, but Mikan couldn't even imagine how she would begin to ask. They probably both hated her and found her annoying anyway.   
She waited for a second, trying to build up the courage. But just before she could put together the words there was a sudden commotion down the hallway. Ishimaru and Makoto immediately stood up straighter and hurried to open the door, and Mikan almost tripped running after them. From here, she could see down the corridor at where the noise was coming from, to a pair of figures approaching them.

Mikan recognised one of the supervisors, Toko Fukawa. Her appearance was unusual - her ordinary unkempt hair and wrinkled clothes were replaced with 2 neat braids and a smart black skirt suit. She was also wobbling in a pair of very high heels, and Mikan panicked several times that her ankles were going to snap. Toko was animatedly talking in an unusually cheery tone, and trotting alongside an unbothered man, who Mikan guessed was from the board.  
"Oh my God... we're fucked." She heard Makoto whisper beside her. Mikan shot the others a panicked look. Ishimaru hadn't even bothered to scold him for his language instead staring with wide eyes at the pair.  
Mikan looked back at the man, who looked a bit familiar - she had definitely seen him somewhere before.  
They reached the nurses, and Toko shot them all a glare.   
"Here are the staff managing this ward today ... Everyone, this is Byakuya Togami of the hospital board."  
Mikan paled, understanding why the others were so panicked. Byakuya Togami was the most favoured son of their President and CEO Kijou Togami. Everyone had heard the rumours that he was one of the most talented surgeons to come out of his prestigious medical academy in years, and was set to take over the company when his father retired. But it wasn't just his talent that terrified the staff - he was even more ruthless than his father when it came to getting rid of people, and would do it with out any hesitation. Those brave enough to risk talking often called him cold or even soulless - he didn't care for anything but the perfection his father also strived for. In fact, he seemed to be a carbon copy of his father's aims and ideals.

Byakuya looked at the 3 nurses with an emotionless glare. The tall man towered over her, staring over his glasses resting on his nose. His suit was probably worth more than all of Mikan's possessions put together and she instincively moved away from it, knowing her record of clumsiness. She thought he might say something to them, but after a while just turned back to Toko and nodded at her to continue the tour, with the nurses following behind.  
Makoto turned to Mikan. "This is your first time having him visit you and your ward right? Don't worry, me and Taka will take the lead, you just follow us. Likely they won't ask us to do anything, but if we do need to demonstrate it'll be something you can do for sure. You're a brilliant nurse Mikan, you'll do great!" he whispered encouragingly. She smiled, appreciating his efforts to reassure her.  
Up ahead, Byakuya stopped and glanced back at the nurses. Mikan panicked, thinking he had heard them.  
"Aren't there supposed to be four nurses in this ward? Why are there only three of you?" he asked in a blunt tone.  
She could see the fury in Toko's face as she realised one member of staff was missing. The Supervisor composed herself, and smiled sweetly at the Togami heir. 

"It appears he went to collect some equipment, Master Bya- I mean, Mr Togami sir." she coughed awkwardly. "Nurse Hagakure should be returning here soon."

Byakuya ignored Toko's slip up, and instead just nodded. "Hmm, I am aware of Yasuhiro Hagakure."

He probably meant the complaints; Mikan noticed Ishimaru tense up. If Byakuya knew about all the arguing that happened they could both be in serious danger of losing their jobs.   
"Ah, here he comes no- oh fucking hell." Makoto cursed under his breath. Mikan looked over to her left to see Hiro sauntering down the hallway holding multiple blood bags casually in his arms.

Ishimaru looked like he was about to faint. "Why isn't he using a trolley? He must use a trolley, he's not allowed to just carry them like that!" Getting ever more flustered, he started frantically waving at Hiro indicating for him to turn round before Toko and Byakuya noticed. Mikan watched as the other nurse just grinned and started to walk faster.   
"Yo Taka, got those blood bags you asked for! Or did you want IV drips? I just grabbed whatever was closest." Hiro yelled as he juggled the heavy bags in his arms.   
Makoto buried his head in his hands. Ishimaru might have been about to cry and Mikan could feel the tightness forming in the back of her throat as tears of panic welled in her eyes. They were all going to get fired for this and no one was going to want to hire someone that got fired by a Togami. Besides if she left the hospital now, she wouldn't get to treat Ibuki for very long. The girl had been all Mikan could think about, but the universe seemed determined to keep Mikan away from Ibuki. Maybe it was a sign, but either way she would need a miracle to fix this mess.  
By this point Toko had noticed Hiro and stormed through the panicking nurses. Byakuya followed, emotionless. Maybe he would be in a good mood? Unlikely, judging by what she had heard.  
Hiro finally realised that something was going horribly wrong when he caught Toko's furious glare. He slowly came to a stop in front of them.  
"Uh..." Mikan watched Hiro flounder, trying to find some way to bullshit out of this situation. "The trolley ... one of the wheels on the trolley was busted so I just kinda took them myself."  
Toko grimaced.  
"Just stop holding so many, you idiot. Look, give me one-" she reached into the pile and tried to pull a bag out. Hiro wobbled and the bags began to slip, but she kept pulling.  
"Dude, watch out!!"  
It was too late. As Toko finally yanked the bag free, the two on top slid off and hit the floor. The first one landed on the floor intact, but the second must have caught on something as it fell, because upon impact it exploded blood forwards all over the floor.  
All over the floor and onto the shoes and trouser legs of Byakuya Togami.  
Mikan really couldn't catch a break.

A thick blanket of silence settled over the room, aside from the quiet dripping of blood from the broken bag, onto the freshly cleaned floor. Mikan felt like she might throw up as they all stared at Byakuya in fear. He could ruin their lives in an instant.  
The man looked down at his blood splattered shoes. Then he looked up again, making direct eye-contact with Hiro, who smiled sheepishly, shifting under the mans uncomfortably cold gaze. Another silence followed, before Byakuya sighed.

"Next time you should follow protocol, and use a spare trolley. Get this cleaned up." He then turned and walked off down the ward, leaving slight bloody footprints in his step. Toko, who looked like she was about to burst a blood vessel, sent one final glare to Hiro. "Report to me at the end of the day idiot, or there will be serious trouble. S-Stupid man!" She stormed off after the tall blonde.  
Hiro sighed, and placed the other bags of blood on the reception desk.  
"Aw man." He groaned, scratching his head. "Can't believe I have to clean this shit up, it's so gross."  
Mikan and the others just stood staring in bewilderment, until Makoto voiced what they were all thinking.

"How the fuck did you not get fired?!"

Ishimaru nodded, while Hiro just shrugged.  
"I dunno. I mean, I know Byakuya from around."

"'From around'?! Do you both mix in the same social circles?!" Ishimaru asked incredulously in a quiet voice. He seemed pretty shaken up and Mikan couldn't blame him - she could feel herself trembling all over, and felt a bit lightheaded. She wondered if she might faint.  
Ishimaru also had a valid inquiry. Hiro lived in a cramped flat in the same block as his mother, and seemed to spend most of his free time hanging out with his mates at the bar, playing videogames and practicing his Tarot Reading; he was pretty good at it and used it to make a little extra cash on the side. Actually he was usually asking to borrow money, with the vague reasoning of 'a little debt'. Mikan suspected it might be a bit more complicated than that, but Hiro always seemed pretty short in cash, whereas the Togami family were rolling in money. They were always appearing on the news in flashy cars and big mansions, discussing business deals Mikan didn't quite understand. Also, Byakuya was special even amongst the best - he was renowned for his surgical skill, but had a very successful side career of modelling, creating him a whole army of love struck followers. Maybe Hiro was one of them? No, that still wouldn't explain how Byakuya had just simply let it slide like that. If it was anyone else, they would have been packed up and out within the next hour.

Hiro had started mopping up the blood.  
"I used to work for his family. Well - kind of. Their butler got pretty sick and I came in as a carer and assistant to the guy. Imagine being rich enough to hire a carer for your staff!" He laughed. "It was crazy luxurious in their house, too. Then I, uh, got into a bit of a situation, and Byakuya was the one to bail me out. I owe him one, really. But yeah, that's how I got hired here, from his reference."

Ishimaru frowned angrily. " You could not have told us this before now? You have worked here for nearly a year! Is this how you get away with breaking the rules? Because if you are going to be here you should have to work just as hard as the rest of us!" He shouted angrily. Everyone stared at him, and he went red, just turning away and heading off towards the patients. Mikan watched him go worriedly- she though she saw him wipe at his eyes with his sleeves as he went.

Makoto cleared his throat. "Ahem, Hiro, would you be ok to finish clearing this blood up while Mikan and I go check on the patients from last night?" Hiro nodded, and Makoto gently patted Mikan's shoulder, prompting her to go.  
As they walked to the beds, Mikan nervously picked at her fingernails. After all the stress of today, she had almost forgotten about her actual aim for today, to look after the injured. Just the thought of nursing made her feel a little more comfortable, as it was an area where she could fully focus and not feel disappointed in herself. Thinking of Ibuki made her heart flutter a little, although Mikan brushed it off as anticipation. She had really let that compliment get to her head.

"Here we are. I'm going to take patient 2, Leon Kuwata and sort out his head wound, and Ishimaru apparently took two-" Makoto rifled through the patient info- "Yeah, yeah ok. Could you go change the bandages on patient 4? Ibuki Mioda, bed on the far side." Mikan just nodded eagerly, and Makoto thanked her then ducked into the room.  
Before she followed Makoto into the room, she quickly checked the time on her phone. 8:42. She had been awake for less than three hours, yet so much had happened to her. One day, she'd have a peaceful day. No surprise visitors, no risk of losing her entire livelihood, just a calm day.

The loud crash and screaming that suddenly burst from inside the ward seemed to be a message that she shouldn't get her Hopes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that this chapter took a little longer than expected to write, and I'm not sure how happy I am with it tbh. Next chapter will focus more on the plot, and develop some more relationships. Any suggestions are welcome in the comments!!


	3. Cleaning Wounds and Learning Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikan gets to see Ibuki again: but that also comes with meeting the rest of her chaotic band members, and a couple of friends too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdhfkflgjdj let's ignore how this is over a month late ...  
> I'm genuinely so sorry about that, I just had rlly bad creative block on this fic, as well as starting back at school. I rewrote and edited this chapter so many times, and I'm still not super sure how I feel about it. But I hope you enjoy it!

The loud crash was soon followed by multiple yelling voices. Mikan hurried inside the room.

Inside was a very chaotic scene. The man with the broken leg - who Mikan had seen by the patient records was called Kazuichi Soda - was sprawled face first on the floor with the sheets of his bed tangled round his waist. He was yelling angrily as Makoto was trying to haul the man upwards and back into his bed. Meanwhile the man in the bed next to him - whose pompadour was now brushed down into a curtain of hair put up in a ponytail - was laughing obnoxiously and pointing at Kazuichi as he flailed on the floor. His hand with the puncture wounds was bleeding heavily, and a distressed-looking Ishimaru was darting around trying to re-bandange the hand.  
Leon Kuwata was also laughing quietly from flat in his bed with a large bandage around his upper head. As Mikan shot a frantic look to the other side of the beds, she saw that Ibuki was not responding to the situation around her. She must be asleep, and for a moment the nurse stared distracted at the bed.

"Mikan! Can you give me a hand please?!" A flustered Makoto drew her back to the current situation, and she apologised, coming over to help. She reached out her hand to help support the man, but another loud shout made her recoil instinctively.

"He just jumped out of his bed and fell on his broken leg - who knows what damage it's done - I can't.." he trailed off as he tried again to lift Kazuichi up, who was almost crying as he screamed at the other patient.

"TAKE IT BACK!"  
"I'm not takin back shit! It's true! What the fuck are you so upset for? I hit a nerve or somethin?"  
"ITS NOT FUCKING TRUE DUDE! YOU CALL ME IT ALL THE TIME!"

The man Ishimaru was unsuccessfully attempting to bandage up just held up his middle finger to Kazuichi, unravelling the dressing even more and causing Ishimaru to sigh angrily.

"Mr Oowada, can you PLEASE try to keep your hand STILL so I can change the dressing-"

"Hey Leon, you agree with me right?" The man completely ignored Ishimaru, instead leaning past him to peer at Kuwata, who nodded his head.  
"He's right Kaz."

This sent Oowada into another laughing fit as Kazuichi started hurling insults at Leon as well. Mikan, overwhelmed by the chaos happening around her, backed up a little as Makoto finally pulled the fallen patient up onto his working leg. Kazuichi, who had calmed down a little, was still angrily muttering.

"I'm not a fucking simp, Mondo! Just because I said "thank you" to a nurse doesn't mean I'm a simp. You guys don't even know what the word means!"

Mondo just grinned, but before Kazuichi could attempt to launch another attack Makoto quickly moved to stand in the middle of them, gently guiding him back to the hospital bed.  
"Please don't try and get out of bed again, your leg is in a pretty bad shape. It's best for you to just rest."  
Despite the mocking jeers from Oowada about Makoto defending him, Kazuichi chose to just grit his teeth and sit back down. Mikan watched him fiddle awkwardly with the corner of the bed sheet, muttering angrily under his breath.

Mikan realised she was still just standing there. She needed to change Ibuki's arm dressing where she had cut it open, and didnt really want to get involved with whatever was going on here, so she collected the new bandages and headed over to the girls bed.

Ibuki appeared to be asleep, head rolled slightly to one side with a cute smile on her face. In the natural daylight now, Mikan could notice the more subtle features on the musician, like the long eyelashes that fluttered slightly as her eyelids adjusted. Or the multitude of piercings in her face, spiked metal dangling from her ears onto the pillow, and a septum ring unevenly sat across above her cupid's bow. Without thinking, Mikan leant forward and gently adjusted it.

Ibuki let out a sudden laugh and her eyes shot open. This sent Mikan toppling backwards with a scream, only managing to catch herself on the side table just in time. The other girl pulled herself up on the side of her bed and stared over at her, looking amused, but concerned.  
"Ibuki is sorry! She didn't mean to scare you!" She spoke quickly and animatedly, smiling widely at Mikan as she propped herself up in her bed.  
The nurse was trying to sort out the items she had knocked over on the table. It didn't help that she was still a little shaken from the Togami incident earlier, and her hands were wobbling slightly as she placed the items back down. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Ibuki, who was now looking up at her in concern. Maybe it was best to just be professional.

"I-I am here to change your b-bandages this morning..." Mikan trailed off in embarrassment. Her stutter had always been pronounced, having developed in early high school, resulting in even more bullying from other girls in her class. Speech therapy and counselling had helped her nearly completely escape it, much to her surprise, but recently she had noticed it was gradually creeping back. She was fiddling with the bandages by her side, waiting for the inevitable laughter and taunting from Ibuki. But instead, the girl just grinned again.

"You're so cute! Ibuki loves quiet girls, especially pretty ones like you!" She aimed a finger gun at Mikan, miming firing it with a little noise effect.  
This was too much for the nurse, who promptly covered her face with both hands as she felt herself blushing violently. Why was she complimenting her so much? She'd never recieved this many compliments before in her life, especially not from someone as beautiful as this patient. As she was trying to compose herself, she heard Leon yelling from the other side of the room.

"Ibuki stop fucking flirting with that nurse for five seconds! Look at her!" Her response was just to laugh, as Mikan slowly withdrew her hands from her face, still very red and staring at the floor. Ibuki sighed and adjusted her position in bed.  
"Fine, Fine, Ibuki will resist for five minutes! It's super hard when a hot nurse is gonna be touching you up!" She winked at Mikan.

By this point Mikan had completely lost any capability to function properly. Her hands were cleaning and preparing bandages, but her brain was just repeating the phrases 'cute' 'pretty' and 'hot nurse' over on a loop. It made concentrating difficult, and not helped by the fact that Ibuki kept following her movement with her eyes, forcing Mikan to stare at her pretty face and go even redder. So much for no inappropriate thoughts about the patients.  
The silence felt heavy and awkward, and even though Mikan was definitely not a fan of small talk she felt rude not asking.

"So-so um... you're in a b-band?" It was a stupid question - Mikan already knew the answer, and she cringed at herself for being so awkward. Ibuki seemed to like the question though, because she immediately nodded and began enthusiastically explaining about how their band was a "techno-rock-punk-pop-future-funk fusion" and was "totally underground yet also super rad and popular with ravers". Mikan admittedly knew what none of these terms meant, but didn't really care. She was too focused on the way Ibuki was feverishly explaining it, with exaggerated gestures and sound effects, and would have been content to watch her forever. Despite the excited tone and rapid speech Mikan actually felt a strange sense of peace, almost calm when listening. She couldnt explain it, but it was like Ibuki took complete control of the conversation, not demanding anything from Mikan except a few small 'yes's and 'wow's here and there. 

"... so anyway Ibuki obviously took vocals but also electric guitar! Leon plays bass guitar but only because he gets finger cramp if he has to play electric because his fingers can't move as fast as Ibuki's. Mondo plays drums because hes got massive muscles but he's actually broken three drum kits already by hitting them too hard, although one time Leon actually broke it more by falling into it because he was drunk; oh and Kazuichi technically plays the synth keyboard but he basically does everything else for us because hes super smart with machines and stuff! We've actually been to hospital with him before when he tried to play Mondo's drums but didn't grip the drumstick heard enough and it hit him in the face! Super funny but it hit him in the eye so we had to go to A&E-"

"Hey she doesn't need to know about that!" And upset sounding Kazuichi chimed in from across the room. Mikan had almost completely finished changing the bandages at this point, and Makoto had finished fixing Kazuichi's cast and was now onto checking Leon's head wound. However, Ishimaru had been a bit more unlucky with his patient, who was stubbornly refusing to comply with his instructions.

"MR OOWADA YOU MUST LET ME CLEAN YOUR HAND BEFORE I REBANDAGE IT!" Ishimaru was trying to hold Mondo's hand steady as he wiped it with sanitizing fluid, but the drummer kept violently jerking his hand out of the way.

"It's just a tiny fucking wound! It's gonna heal anyway and besides that shit stings like a motherfucker, I don't need it!" His language caused Ishimaru to physically bite his bottom lip in order to stop himself from yelling at the man, while Mondo continued pulling his hand away. Makoto glanced worriedly over to Mikan, maybe expecting her to do something. But there wasn't anything she could do - she nearly always cried when someone shouted at her, and besides nothing could get in between Ishimaru and the safety regulations. So she just stared back at him, mouthing the word 'sorry' as she turned back to Ibuki's dressing - which truth be told she had tried to elongate as to be with the singer as long as possible. It was sad and pathetic, she knew that, but even so it was worth it to hear Ibuki's laughter.

They were interrupted by a frazzled looking Toko peeking her head into the room. Her face conveyed the normal scowl and she was holding the high heels in her hand, wearing her normal trainers again. Togami must have left.  
"Visiting hours, couple people here for these punks." She disappeared again. For a woman who wrote such long reports, she always spoke very little.

Soon after this, a girl walked into the room. Even Mikan instantly recognised her, and she heard Makoto gasp in shock.  
Leon shot up, nearly knocking his bed table over.  
"Sayaka?!?!"  
The idol was arguably one of the most popular rising stars in the pop industry, combining cute looks and catchy lyrics that Mikan heard all the time on the radio. The magazines didn't do her justice - she almost looked like she was sparkling as she entered the room, cute doll like features in a peaceful smile. She turned towards Ibuki's bed, completely ignoring Leon as she speed walked across with a smile.  
"Ibuki!!!! Oh my God it's so good to see you! I sure got a fright when I heard about the accident, are you ok!?!" Ibuki seemed kinda confused, but nodded and accepted the incoming hug from the idol. 

"Hey Sayaka, it's good to see you too... Uh, Ibuki's ok, but arent you gonna ask about the others too? And um... Leon?"  
Sayaka's expression instantly changed to a cold grimace.  
"I've got no reason to speak to him. Besides, I came here for you!! Can't stay long though, got a photoshoot at 12 and fan meet after. But I got you something!" She reached into her side bag and pulled out 3 large boxes of expensive-looking chocolates wrapped in gold ribbon. Ibuki gladly accepted hers, and Sayaka handed the other two to Kazuichi and Mondo, smiling and chatting with them. Leon's face was gradually turning into a frown. Finished with her visit for the day, Sayaka picked up her bag and started walking out the doorway. It was only as she got to the doorway that she turned round with a blank expression. She pulled a small packet out of her bag, and carelessly chucked it towards Leon.

"Kuwata."

Sayaka Maizono left, bright blue hair vanishing into the hallway. Leon looked down at the packet in his hands. Mondo sighed while Kazuichi started laughing.

"'Kuwata'? Damn, that's fucking cold dude."  
He was examining the packet when he angrily slammed it down on the table.  
"Fucking granola bar. She knows I hate those!" He grumbled.  
Ibuki noticed the nurse's confusion.  
"Sayaka is Leon's ex girlfriend. They've been out and broken up so many times that we started betting on it. So far Ibuki is winning!"  
Mondo was already opening the chocolates.  
"This is the longest fight they've had though. Even longer than the one where she painted 'dickhead' on your guitar?" He asked Leon, who nodded glumly.

"I'm sorry but that does not sound very healthy at all! A relationship should be based on mutual respect and support, not destroying property and intentionally hurting someone!!" Ishimaru shook his head slightly.  
Mondo snorted.  
"Didn't know you were a fuckin relationship counselor as well as a nurse."  
Ishimaru chose to ignore that comment, but Ibuki suddenly chimed in.  
'Shouty-boy is kinda right though, Ibuki is also worried that you guys are kinda unhealthy..."

Mikan watched as Ibuki and Leon fought about it. Her arguement that Sayaka being "super hot" wasn't a good enough reason to keep dating her seemed to bring out a different person from the hyperactive rocker, a more considerate and caring person.  
She felt Makoto gently putting his arm on her back, pulling her aside.  
"Mikan, you ok?"  
She nodded, quietly beginning to sniffle. He gave her a tissue from his pocket and watched her in concern.

"All the stuff that happened last year... I know it's still painful for you Mikan. But it's over now, and it's never gonna happen again. You can always talk to me if you need it." He sounded so sincere and genuine. Mikan smiled weakly at him. She appreciated his concern, she really did, but at the same time it made her feel like and idot for crying. If only she wasn't so sensitive.  
"It's not your fault. I know what you're thinking."  
She was that obvious then. Mikan took a deep breath and nodded at Makoto, who was still staring anxiously.  
"Thank you, M-Makoto, I'll be ok ..."  
He smiled and patted her back a little.  
"No problem, Mikan."

It was nearly their lunch break, and everyone had gone back to their work, Mikan steadily checking Ibuki's vitals and basics, recording them in her patient information. She could feel the rockstar's eyes on her, and it made her nervous. The plan to get Ibuki's attention had worked, but also backfired - Mikan didn't plan what to do if she actually got it. 

The door opened again, and Hiro finally appeared in the room, with a small girl trailing in behind him. She was frantically apologising, and holding a large parcel in her hands. Hiro stood to the side allowing her to pass, and she hurried over to Mondo, who had given in to Ishimaru's berating and allowed him to finally bandage the hand.  
He noticed her and smiled.  
"Hey Chihiro-"  
"Mondo! Are you Ok? I'm sorry I didnt come earlier! It's just I was caught up at work, and then when I finally got the call I realised I couldn't find the house keys, and- ah, sorry!" The parcel slipped out of her hands and onto the floor.  
Once she picked it up, she offered it to Mondo with a smile. He just grinned and grabbed it.  
"Thanks, but you didn't have to worry that much. I'm fine, you know me."  
Chihiro nodded with a small laugh. It faltered as she glancef at his bandaged hand.  
"Oh my g- are you ok?!?! What happened to y-your hand?!" She gently reached for it but Mondo pulled it away, not unkindly.  
"Just a little injury, don't worry Chihiro, I uh- yeah, shit like this won't keep me down." He looked away from her with a slightly red face as she stared at him, evidently doubting him. She noticed Ishimaru and smiled.  
"Um... Please make sure he gets everything he needs!! He's pretty stubborn sometimes ... thank you!" She politely nodded to the confused nurse and turned back to the beds.  
"I-I know you don't know me, but uhm.. I hope you all get better very soon!" Chihiro nodded awkwardly, then hurried out of the room with a small wave back at Mondo.

"Dude, who was she?!" Leon asked. Mikan noticed Ibuki and Kazuichi also seemed confused, all staring at Mondo. He just went redder.  
"She's just my fucking roommate?! I told you about her?! You know, the computer one." He waved his hands dismissively, but the others didn't seem too convinced. Ibuki just smirked, while Kazuichi just watched the door where she left, staring in thought.  
"She was really cute ... hey, is she single?!" He leant towards Mondo, who just rolled his eyes.  
"Maybe?!? How the fuck should I know?!? Stop being desperate!"

While they argued, Mikan had finished treating Ibuki for now. It was nearly lunch, and Hiro had gone to collect the meals for the patients. Makoto was staying behind to supervise, but she and Ishimaru now had a lunch break. As she got up to leave, Ibuki made a small noise of protestation.  
"Ibuki gets you again right?! You'll come back, Mikan?"  
It felt like her heart was fluttering violently in her chest, as Mikan just stuttered out a small yes and hurtled out of the room. Damn, that really could have gone better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a few notes :) :  
> \- currently using she/her for Chihiro, but only because he hasn't told anybody about his gender yet. I wanted to develop his character later on rather than rush it; but Chihiro will eventually use he/him in this fanfic.  
> \- I still have a few more characters to add, mostly from the second game, but I don't want to rush their intros, which is kinda why I disliked this chapter.  
> Thank you for reading, feel free to comment or suggest anything! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment any characters or suggestions in the comments!


End file.
